1. يا واحَةً في ظُلمَةِ اليَأسِ

    فيها صَفاءُ القَلبِ وَالنَفسِ

    O oasis in the darkness of despair,

    where heart and soul find serenity,

  2. أَرقَصَتِ قَلبي مِن مُرَقرَقَةِ

    خَمرٍ تَصفِقُ في مَدى الحِسِّ

    you set my heart dancing with shimmering

    wine that surges through the realm of sense,

  3. وَتَدُبُّ في قَلبِ اِبنِ نَشوَتِها

    حَتّى يَبيتَ مُؤَرِّقُ الأُنسِ

    and creeps into the heart of one born of its rapture,

    till he keeps delight awake all night.

  4. هَل أَنَّةٌ أَم رَنَّةٌ صَدَحَت

    أَمر بِهِ الأَفهامُ في لَبسِ

    Was it a moan, or a ringing note that sounded?

    A matter over which minds remain perplexed.

  5. هَذي الأَغاني زَفرَةٌ صَعَدَت

    واسَت فَجَلَّت عَن دَوا النُطسِ

    These songs are a sigh that rose,

    brought solace, and surpassed skilled physicians' cures.

  6. أَنّي لَمَفضوحٌ بِعَبرَتِهِ

    يُرثي لِمَفضوحٍ مِنَ الجَرَسِ

    I am indeed one whose tears betray him,

    pitying one laid bare by the ringing sound.

  7. لَيسَ الَّذي تُشقيهِ أَدمُعُهُ

    مِثلَ الَّذي يَشدو مِنَ الحَبسِ

    One whom his tears make wretched is not

    like one who sings from captivity.

  8. بِاللَهِ خَبِّرني أَمِن وَرسٍ

    رَيَّشَت أَم مِن صَبغَةِ الشَمسِ

    By God, tell me: was it from wars-dye

    they grew their plumage, or from the sun's hue—

  9. صُفرُ الغَلائِلِ تَزدَهي طَرَباً

    حَتّى لَقَد ثَمِلَت بِلا رَسِّ

    those yellow-robed ones, exulting in delight,

    till they were truly drunk without a sip?

  10. وَأَكَلَّةُ الجادي في عُرسٍ

    وَلَو أَنَّها في حَلبَةِ العُرسِ

    And the saffron-eaters are at a wedding,

    even if they are in the wedding arena.

  11. وَالدوحُ وَالأَغصانُ مائِسَةٌ

    وَالماءُ وَالأَظلالُ في مِسِّ

    And the great trees and branches sway,

    and water and shadows are in a trance,

  12. تَرنو سَكارى في عَوالِمِها

    حَتّى لَتُحسَبَ دَولَةَ الفُرسِ

    gazing drunkenly within their worlds,

    till you would take them for Persia's realm,

  13. نَظارَةً لِمُغَرِّدٍ نَدبٍ

    يَنفي الهُمومَ وَطارِقُ النَحسِ

    an audience for a gifted singer

    who banishes cares and ill fortune's night-visitor.

  14. يَسمو وَيَهوي في السَما غَرداً

    كَشَرارَةٍ طارَت في القَبسِ

    He soars and swoops through the sky, singing,

    like a spark that flew within the flame,

  15. أَو سَهمِ رامٍ راحَ عَن قَوسٍ

    أَو حُلمُ صَبٍّ في هَوى الأَمسِ

    or an archer's arrow sped from a bow,

    or a lover's dream of yesterday's love.

  16. مُتَهَلِّلاً مُتَبَسِّماً طَلِقا

    يَطَأُ النُجومَ وَرائِقَ الغَرسِ

    Beaming, smiling, carefree,

    he treads the stars and lovely saplings.

  17. يَصِلُ السَماءَ يَمَسُّ جِلدَتِها

    وَيَحِطُّ بِالغُدرانِ في غَطسِ

    He reaches heaven, touches its skin,

    and alights in the pools with a plunge.

  18. فَرِحاً يَدُرُّ عَلَيهِ صَفوَتَهُ

    فَرَحُ الغَرامِ وَنَشوَةُ الأُنسِ

    Joyous, he is showered with purest bliss

    by love's gladness and the rapture of companionship.

  19. مَثواهُ في الأَجواءِ مُرتَفِعٌ

    بَينا هَواهُ بَينَنا يُرسي

    His dwelling is high in the skies,

    while his love casts anchor among us.

  20. تَرنيمَةُ الإِصباحِ رائِقَةً

    في الجَوِّ صافِيَةً مِنَ الرِجسِ

    The morning hymn, limpid,

    pure in the air, free of defilement,

  21. تَسري إِلى الغيطانِ مُترَعَةً

    مِنها الرِياضُ بِغَيرِها حَدَسِ

    drifts toward the fields—brimming

    with it are the gardens; all else is conjecture—

  22. فَوقَ اليَنابيعِ الَّتي غَمَرَت

    ساحَ الحُقولِ بِدائِمِ البَجسِ

    over the springs that have flooded

    the fields' expanses with ceaseless welling,

  23. وَسَلاسِلُ الأَنوارِ دافِقَةً

    غَطَّت ذُرى الأَشجارِ بِالقَمسِ

    while streaming chains of light

    have covered the treetops, immersing them,

  24. وَرَمَت قِلاعَ المُدنِ صائِبَةً

    وَالشَمسُ تَعلو الأَرضَ في خَلَسِ

    and struck the cities' citadels unerringly,

    as the sun rises over the earth by stealth.

  25. يَسمو إِلَيها صَوتُهُ صَعداً

    وَيُصافِحُ الأَرواحَ بِاللَمسِ

    His voice soars upward toward it,

    and, with its touch, clasps hands with souls.

  26. في حُمرَةِ الشَفَقِ الَّتي شَرَقَت

    فيها الزُهورُ وَيافِعُ الوَرَسِ

    In the twilight's redness, where there glow

    the flowers and the young wars-plants,

  27. وَالنَبتُ وَالأَشجارُ لامِعَةٌ

    مِن حُمرَةِ الأَضواءِ في يَبَسِ

    and plants and trees gleam

    with the redness of light upon dry ground,

  28. فيها تَنامُ مُمتِعاً ثَمِلاً

    مِن رَحمَةِ الرَحمَنِ في حَرَسِ

    there you sleep, delightful and intoxicated,

    guarded by the mercy of the All-Merciful.